长期侨居海外的陈嘉庚总是心系祖国，在中华民族的危难时期他从未间断过与毛泽东的合作往来。

    By Chen Jinghua

    Chen Jiageng first met Mao Zedong during his Yan’an visit in 1940. In the afternoon of the second day of his stay in Yan’an, Mr. Chen was driven to Yangjia Hill to meet Mr. Mao. Mr. Chen noted that guests visited Mr. Mao with a minimum of pomp, neither bowing nor saluting. He interpreted this as a sign of a move away from hierarchical practices and toward a more egalitarian society.

    During his Yan’an visit, one of the major topics of discussion was Chinese national unity. Mr. Chen suggested forcefully that a civil war should be avoided and that the conflict between Kuomintang and the Communist party could be resolved after the war. Mr. Mao agreed in principle and suggested that Mr. Chen act as an intermediary in offering the same message to Jiang Jieshi and to the overseas Chinese community.

    In the wake of their meeting, Mr. Chen described Mr. Mao in positive terms. He expressed an admiration for Mr. Mao’s intellect and memory. He also offered his hope that China would gain a stronger footing on the international stage.